1. Field of the Invention
Applicant's invention relates to apparatuses for retrieving golf balls from locations not conveniently or safely accessible via the unassisted reach of one's arm.
2. Background Information
Each year, hundreds of thousands of golf balls find their way into locations not conveniently or safely accessible to the golfer without some means of effectively extending the golfer's reach. There are two consequences of this problem: (1) a number of golf ball retrievers have been developed, and; (2) because of the inconvenience or marginal effectiveness of the available golf ball retrievers a substantial portion of the wayward golf balls are never retrieved or are retrieved by persons other than the original owners.
3. Related Patents
U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,189, issued to J. Nihra, discloses a golf ball retriever the operable portion of which includes a partial loop which occupies approximately 7/8ths of a full circle. Embossments are provided on the interior surfaces of the rod which forms the loop to improve frictional engagement between the retriever and a golf ball. In operation, the Nihra retriever requires that the loop thereof be placed directly over the ball sought to be retrieved. As the retriever is pressed downward, the loop, which has a slightly smaller effective diameter than the maximum diameter of the golf ball, of the golf ball, yields slightly and passes slightly past the midpoint of the golf ball thereby allowing the ball to be lifted from its resting place.
The Nihra retriever has several significant limitations. First, the golf ball must be lying on a relatively hard surface and, secondly, the ball must be clearly visible to the golfer if the golf ball is to be retrieved without extended and frustrating effort. The latter requirement is unsatisfactory because a lost golf ball is often beyond view, such as when in murky water or behind dense foliage. Further, even in clear water, the refraction of water will make precise placement possible only after some trial and error. The former requirement is unacceptable in many environments in which a golf ball is likely to find itself, such as at the bottom of a water trap.
While Nihra does teach scooping under the golf ball in the case of soft surfaces, such is no distinguishing characteristic of the Nihra retriever as any device sufficiently wide can perform such a shovel-like function. Finally, Nihra teaches a telescopic member to which the loop is mounted. Such telescopic members, particularly in the field of golf ball retrievers, are notoriously prone to breakage and rapid wear. This is often the result of the manufacturers recognition that a retriever must be very light weight to be practical and marketable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,402, issued to J. Sedan, teaches a golf ball retriever the operable portion of which is a yielding loop having a resting diameter slightly less than the maximum diameter of a golf ball. Like the Nihra retriever, the Sedan retriever suffers from a limitation of requiring placement directly over the golf ball sought to be retrieved. The limitations associated with this characteristic are the same as those discussed relating to Nihra. An additional limitation of the Sedan design relates to its method of achieving the desired length for a golf ball retriever. While the Sedan design does avoid use of the problematic, telescopic means, it is designed to be fixed to the head end of an iron. It is anticipated that all but the most physically fit and non-arthritic golfers will experience difficulty in maneuvering the retriever with the necessary precision, because of the significant moment of torque provided by this arrangement. In other words, the combined weight of the golf club head and the retriever extending some distance therebeyond, makes the Sedan retriever quite unwieldy.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,482,294, issued to W. Sandor, teaches another yielding, partial loop golf ball retriever. Like Nihra, Sandor effectively teaches a telescopic member for providing the necessary length of the retriever. The problems associated with a yielding loop retriever have already been discussed and will not be repeated at this time.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,561,815, issued to C. Oberg, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,674,294, issued to M. O'Rourke, also teach golf ball retrievers, but their design differs so substantially from applicant's as to be of only marginal relevance. These patents are, however, mentioned in the interest of full disclosure.